"Of these four men, can you identify which one is Mark?" the officer asked.


    "The second from the right," Yvonne said, her eyes fixed on the men through the ss.


    "Are you certain?"


    "Positive," she confirmed. "And the man on the far left was one of his thugs. He was there the night I had the run-in with them."


    The officer nodded, impressed. "You have an excellent memory."


    Yvonne remained silent, watching as the officer spoke into his phone. In the room on the other side, the other inmates were led away, leaving only Mark behind with two officers who immediately began a surprise interrogation.


    Despite the thick, one-way mirror separating them, Mark seemed to sense her presence. He turned his head and stared directly through the ss, his eyes locking onto Yvonne''s.


    “To think that after all my years of hunting birds, I''d get my eye pecked out by one,” Mark sneered, his gaze chilling and predatory.


    An unsettling feeling coiled in Yvonne''s stomach, and she instinctively frowned. The next moment, Bet''s tall frame moved in front of her, blocking Mark''s view.


    "We can go now," he said, his dark eyes focused on her.


    "Right," Yvonne nodded, following him out of the room.


    The precinct hallway was empty and quiet in thete afternoon, and a heavy silence fell between them. With Mark captured, their arrangement—his protection of her— was officially over. Their lives were two parallel lines that were never meant to cross. She could no longer crash on his couch, cuddling with Bullet while eating chips and watching TV.


    Yvonne pushed down the wave of disappointment and looked up at him with a forced smile. "Well, Officer, congrattions on a sessful mission. You don''t have to babysit me anymore."


    "Right," he replied, his expression t and unreadable.


    The silence stretched on, so profound that she could hear their breathing in the empty corridor.


    Yvonne took a deep breath. "Do you think... I could stille see Bullet sometime?" She rushed to rify, afraid he would misunderstand MII arrange it with Helen. We can meet up somewhere, so I won''t bother you."


    "Whatever you want," he answered coolly.


    BUMS


    She wanted to say more, but the door to the observation room opened, and Jonas stepped out.


    "Mr. Thompson," he said, approaching Bet. "Mr. Wood would like to see you."


    Bet nodded and followed Jonas down the hall.


    Watching him walk away, Yvonne felt a sudden, sharp hollowness in her chest.


    A few momentster, a female officer approached her. "You must be Yvonne. Mr. Thompson asked me to take you to the local inn for the night."


    "Thank you," Yvonne said, following the officer out of the precinct and to the guesthouse in town. The amodations were simple, but the sheets and nkets were fresh and clean. Yvonne wasn''t picky. She took a shower and went straight to bed, falling into a deep sleep almost immediately.


    She woke up on time the next morning, and after getting ready, she had breakfast in the inn''s small dining area shortly after, Simon James, a member of Bet''s team, arrived.


    "Ms. Jones, Mr. Thompson sent me to drive you back to Istra,” he said.


    "Thank you, Simon. I appreciate it."


    She didn''t ask why Bet hadn''te himself. He probably had another assignment, or maybe he just didn''t want to see her again.


    Simon drove her to the Vexel airport.